Box stitching machine



Sept. l5, 1936.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllll M. N. MATVEYEFF BOX STITCHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1935A lNvE'NoR www 'F..Memvf ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1936. M, N MATVEYEFF 2,054,548

BOX STITCHING MACHINE llll'lllllllllllly INVENTOR -BY @am f. www@ ATTORN EY Pausania sept. 15,. 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE nox s'rr'roHmG MACHINE MichaerN. Matveyen, Stratford, conn.

Application August 9, 1935, serial No. 35,418

11 Claims.

My invention relates to box stitching machines and has Aparticular reference to machines for stapling together flat sides of cardboard boxes.

In ordinary stapling machines the staples are driven through sheets of paper or cardboard placed on a hard backing surface which causes the ends of staples to be curved and bent against the back side of the sheets. Such machines cannot be therefore used for closing cardboard boxes l0 containing ordinary merchandise of more or less soft nature, as no backing plates can be inserted in such boxes for bending the staples.

AIn my machine I do not depend on a backing plate for bending thestaples, the only requirement being that the box must be suiiiciently stiff to permit puncturing its walls with needle-like sharp prongs which also insert the staples. The same prongs, after inserting the staples, bend them around the edges of the board at the punctures, the prongs being rotated for this purpose. The insertion of the staples and their bending are accomplished by the downward stroke of a sliding vertical plunger with a handle. The staples are being pushed at iirst by the rear portions of the prongs, and afterward by the lower end of the plunger.

In order to obtain the most effective clamping action of the staples, the end portions of the prongs are made straight and parallel to each other and they are moved straight -down with the staple until the latter is fully inserted into the boards. Only then the prongs are rotatedA for bending the staple. The turning is extended for more than quarter of a turn in order to bend the end points of the staple back into the inner side of the boards.

I also provide my device with an automatic feeding mechanism for bringing the staples, one at a time, under the prongs.

An arrangement is also provided for supporting the staple under the prongs until the prongs with the staple are inserted into the board, the supporting device being then automatically withdrawn.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my device in an inoperative position, placed on two sheets of card- 50 board to be joined together, Fig. 2 is a similar view of my device in an operative position, with the staple inserted into the boards and the ends of the staple bent back, Fig. 3 is a. sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of my device in an inoperative position, Fig. 5 is a similar transverse sectional view of the device in operative position, Fig. 6 is an outside view-of the same, Fig. 7 is a detail view of an interlock between the frames and the plunger, the plunger being in its raised position, Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the plunger in a lowered position, Fig. 9 is a sectional view .taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, Fig. 10` isa sectional detail view of the staple in a feeding magazine, Fig. 11 is a side view of the same, Fig. l2 is a detail 10 view of a prong with its operative connections, Fig. 13 is a detail view of a prong with its guiding groove partly in section and Fig. 14- is a partial detail view taken on the line III-I4 of Fig. 7.

My box stitching machine consists of an outer l5 frame I made of sheet metal and provided withfeet 2 .which are placed on cardboards 3 forming a part of a box to be stitched together. The frame has two parallel walls joined on top and open ends.

An inner frame or housing 4 is iitted in the outer frame and can slide in vertical direction for a distance corresponding to the height of a staple 5, there being suicient clearance provided in the outer frame for this purpose. Both frames are 25 closed on top and provided with apertures 6 for a plunger 1. The latter has a knob or handle 8 on top. A compression springv 9 is placed between the top of the outer frame and the knob 8 tending to keep the plunger in a raised position. The 30 plunger slides by its sides 9' between the walls of the inner frame and is guided by rails I 0 fastened to these walls. The other two sides of the plunger are provided with gear teeth I I in mesh with spur gears I2. These gears are rotatively mounted on 35 shafts I3'supported in the side walls of the inner frame. Bushings I4 are placed on the shafts I3 so as to keep the gear near one wall and away from the other, the thickness of the gears being less than the space between the walls of the in- 40 ner frame. The gears are staggered as shown, one gear being placed against one wall, and the otheragainst the other wall. The racks on the sides of the plunger are wider than the gears so that the plunger is in mesh with both gears at 45 the same time. Each gear is in mesh with a. corresponding rack I5 on a sliding frame I6 placed against the same side of the frame on which is mounted its gear. The frame orbar I6 has a longitudinal slot I'I with which it slides on a sta- 50 tionary block I8 and is retained by a washer I9 fastened to the block by a screw 2U. One end of the sliding bar I6 has a lug 2| pivotally connected to one end of a link 22 the other end of which isV pivotally connectedv to the upper end of 55 in a dovetailed slot 25 between rails 26 on the walls of the inner frame.

Right and left prongs 21 and 28 are attached to the plates 23, these prongs being oiset so as to meet by their sides at the middle of the space in the inner frame. The combined'width of the prongs equals the width of onestaple 5. In the extreme raised (inoperative) position the tail ends of the prongs with the plates 23 form an angle with the base of the frame less than 90. The operative portion of the prong has a heel 29 which rests against the middle portion of -the staple. The heel is slightly curved into convex shape to correspond to the preferred shape of the staple with the concave middle portion. The prong is then rounded off into arcuate shape, the staples being preferably rounded off at the corners. The ends of the prongs extend straight downward in mutually parallel direction, following straight.

parallel sides of the staple. v

The staples are fed under the prongs from a magazine rack 30 forming an extension of the outer frame I. The magazine, shown in detail in Figs. 10 and 11, has an inner 3| and outer 32 members forming a channel between them for theA staples. A pusher block 33 slides in the channel back of the staples and has a handle or screw 34 extending outside through a slot 35 in the outer member 32. 'The end of a flat spring 38 is attached to this screw. The spring is wound ln a spiral on a shaft 31 in a housing 38 attached to the frame I. The spring is permanently wound so as to keep the block 33 under tension against the staples thereby pushing them into the frame. The inner member 3| extends to the ends of the prongs. The outer member may be slightly set back to facilitate the inspection of the feeding action. The two prongs completely enclose the staple from the outside, and their ends extend a little below the ends of the staples so as to pierce the board ahead of the staples.

The staple under the prongs is supported by a shelf 39 on a lug 40 extending from a slidlngblock 4I. A shoulder back of the shelf prevents the staple from sliding beyond its proper place under the prongs. The block 4I has fiat sides slidably y fitted betweenv the walls of a channel-shaped housing 42 attached to the inner frame 4. The housing 42 in turn is slidably fitted between the walls of an outer housing 43 attached to the side of the outer frame I. The block 4I has a transverse slot 44 inclined toV the line of movement of the inner frame. Two pins 45 pass through 'this slot and through vertical slots 46 in the inner housing 42. The ends of the pins are fastened in the walls of the outer housing 43. Al

spring 41 pulls the block upward causing its upper edge to rest against the lower edge of the back wall of the inner housing 42. The sides of the slot 44, sliding on the pinspush the block in its upper position against the wall of the frame 4, bringing also the lug 48 with the shelf 39 into the position for supporting the staple. The spring 41, together with the spring 9, tends to keep the in.- ner frame 4 in a raised position in the frame I. A supplementary at spring 48 presses the block 4I against the side of the frame 4. The lower edge of the wall of the inner'frame 4 forms a clearance 49 over the lug 40 whichis taken up when the inner frame is fully lowered as shown in Fig. 5. The lower end of the plunger 1 has formedthereon an extension 50 of a reduced thickness so as to clear the moving parts 22 and 23. The end point of the extension is shaped So as to conform to the shape of the staple and serves to press the staple against the work when the elbows 29 are turned away into the i'lnal closing position of the prongs as shown in Fig. 2.

A sliding latch 5I is provided for locking together the plunger 1 and the inner frame 4 during the rst portion of the movement of the plunger. The latch has longitudinal slots 52 for pins 52 fastened in the walls of the housing 42.

The inner and outer endsI of the latch have sharp points, and its length is such that when the outer end rests against a plate 54 of the housing 43, the inner end i'lts in a slot in the side of the plunger 1. A spring 55 pulls the latch against the plate 54. The latter has a recess 56 for the outer end of the latch permitting the latter to release the plunger 1. The inner end of the latch is slotted for an inclined arm 51 attached to the side of the plunger and engaging a pin 58 passing through this slot. The latch 5I has pins 80 at the sides adapted to engage cams 6I extending from the sides of the outer housing 43. Slots 62 are provided in the inner housing 42 for the cams 6I and pins 80. The arm 51 also limitsthe upward movement of the plunger, although the latter may have other arrangements for this purpose. The distance between the upper positionof the plunger and the position when the latch releases the plunger corresponds to the travel of the inner frame 4 in the outer frame I and is equal to the length of the legs of the staples or to the length of the straight end -portions of the prongs 21 and 28. o

The operation of my machine is as follows The magazine 30 always keeps one staple under the prongs 21 and 28 when the latter are in their inoperative position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The staple is supported underneath by the shelf 39 and rests against the shoulder on the lug 48.

The plunger 1 is in the raised position underaction of the spring 9, and the inner frame is also raised in the outer frame by the spring 41, the spring 9 also tending to raise the inner frame by the pull on the gears. 'I'he prongs in this position fully enclose the staple on the outside, the points of the prongs extending slightly beyond the points of the staples. v l

The machine is then placed against the boards 3 which may represent the top or sides of a cardboard box. It should be noted that the staple is fully supported from all sides so that the machine can be placed either in vertical or in horiinsert the staple with them. The block 4I, mov-l ing down with the frame, will be pushed by the stationary pins 45, pressing on the sides of the slot 44, away from the frame 4 thereby withdrawing the shelf 39 from under the staple. The

frame 4 will slide over the pins 45 by the slots 48.

Upon withdrawal of the block away from the walls of the frame 4 and housing 42, the frame 4 will move down to the end as shown in Fig. 5 permitting the prongs to clamp the upper portion of the staple against the boards 3 by the elbows 28.- In this position of the frame the pins 60, engagingv zontal positions against the top or sides of the box. l

ausgese- A v 3 the cams 6I, will push the latch Il into the slot 56 thereby releasing the plunger so that the latter will continue its downward movement while the frames remain stationary. In moving down,- the 5 plunger will rotate the gears I2 by its racks Il, and the gears in turn will move the bars I6 in the opposite directions. The latter through the links 22 will cause the blocks 24 with the plates 23 and prongs 21"and 28 to move in the arcuate lo rails 26. The prongs accordingly will rotate thereby bending the ends of the staples against the other side of the boards as shown in Figs.

2 and 5.

Each prong during the rotation makes more than quarter of a turn, so that their' ends will bend the ends oi' the staple back forcing them into the cardboard from underneath, as shown in Fig. 2. Such back bending of the staple ends is especially important with softer grades of the cardboard, such as corrugated board, in order to prevent the possibility of the boards being pulled apart in service. prongs is made possible by their arrangement on independent curved rails so that the prongs and 25 their supporting and operating mechanisms can pass each other in the middle of the machine. Each prong turns its own end oi the staple into an arc of a circle having its center in the nter of the curvature of the prong. In order to obtain the most effective bending of the staple in an arc of a circle, the rails 26 of each prong have for their center of curvature the same center of the prong curvature. 'I'he centers of the two prongs being displaced by the distance between the corner arcs of the staple, the rails 28 on the respective sides oi the frame l are also displaced as may be seen in Fig. 3.

Upon completion ofthe stapling operation. the handle 8 is released, and the retrieving spring l 40 brings it back into inoperative position, pulling also the frame 4 up by the friction between the moving parts and, partly, by the pull ofthe spring 41 on the block ll resting against the lower edge of the inner wall of the housing I2 as shown in 45 Fig. 4. The spring 9, however, can be omitted, as

the plunger can be easily pulled back manually. At the end of its upward travel, the plunger by its hook or bar 51, engagingthe pin Il, will pullv the latch 5| out of the slot 56, causing its inner end to engage the slot 51' in the plunger.

I prefer to use staples curved as shown in Fig. 1G, although it is not necessary, as the pressure oi' the prongs will torce ordinary flat staples to be bent into the proper shape. My machine can be also used with staples made of rectangular or square wire. Round wire can be also used, in which case, of course, the prongs must be grooved on the inside, and the staples must be fed slightly at an angle so as to bring both legs of thestaple under the respective prongs.

It is understood that the practic'aiembodiment of my invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. vI claim as my invention:`

1. In a box stitching machine, the combination oi a frame adapted to be placed on boards to be joined, -two sharp prongs movably supported 'in said frame, the ends of said prongs being sub stantiallyV straight and parallel to each other,

means to place a staple under said prongs, the middle portions of said prongs being curved and adapted to press against the upper portion ofsaid staple, each prong being adapted to press on one halt of said staple. means to move said prongs straight down retaining their parallel alignment The large angular travel of the thereby forcing said staple fully into said boards, means to rotate said prongs upon completion ofsaid staple inserting movement thereby bending said staple around the edges of said boards at the places of puncture, and means to press against 5 the upper portion of said staple while its ends are being bent.

2. In a box stitching machine. the combination of a frame adapted to beplaced against theV boards forming a side of a box, two sharp prongs y10 movably supported in said frame, the middle portions of said prongs'being adapted to press against the upper portion of a staple, means to places. staple under said prongs, means to move said prongs-in parallel paths for piercingsaid 15 boards andV4 inserting said staple, means to rotate said prongs upon completion of said inserting movement thereby bending the ends of the staple against theback side o! said boards, said prongs being adapted to be rotated more than a quarter 20 of a turn-tor forcing the staple ends into the backside of theboards, and means to support said staple under said prongs until it is inserted into said boards: 4

3. In a box stitching machine, the combination 25 of a frame, two sharp prongs movably supported in said frame, means to support a staple under said prongs, the ends of said prongs being paralleito each other and extending along the sides of said staple, thev middle portions of said prongs 30 being curved enclosing the corner portions of said staple and its upper side, said middle portions o! the prongs being placed side by side against said staple, the tail portions of said prongs extending beyond the middle point oi' said staple, 35 the prongs thereby crossing each other, means to manually Iorce said prong ends with said staple into the work, means to withdraw said staple supporting means while the staple is being i'orced by said prongs into said work, and means to turn said prongs in opposite directions thereby bending the endsof said staple against the work on the other side thereof. y i

4. In a box stitching machine, the combination of a frame, two sharp prongs movably supported 45 in said frame, means to support a staple under said prongs, the ends of said prongs being parallel and extending along the ends 'of said stapl the middle portions of said prongs being curved in an arc' of a circle corresponding to the curva- 50 i ture at the points where the legs of the staple e Join its middle portion, arcuate guiding rails for. each prong, said rails .having for the center of' their curvature the center of curvature of the respective prong, means to'manually force said 55 v prongs with -said staple into the work, means to withdraw `said staple supporting means while said prongs are being forced into' the work, and means to move' said prongs on said rails in opposite directionsthereby bending the ends of 50 said staple on the other side of said work against and into said other 'side. l

5. In a box stitchingmachine, the combination o! a frame, two sharp prongs movably supported in said frameand adapted to enclose a staple on g5 the outside, means to support said staple under said prongs, a plunger'movably supported in said frame and being adapted to be manually moved in its axial direction. means to move said prongs with said staple retaining the parallel alignment 70v of their ends during the iirst portion oi' the movement oi' said plunger thereby forcing Isaid staple into a ilat piece ofwork, means to withdraw said staple supporting means at the completion of the insertion of said staple into the work, and means 7g said plunger thereby bending the ends of said staple toward each other at the back side of said work.` v.

'6. -In a box stitching machine, .the combination of an outer frame adapted to be placed against a flat piece of Work, an inner frame adapted to slide in said outer frame in aldirection perpendicular to said work, sharp prongs rotatively supported in said inner frame,' said prongs being adapted to enclose a staple on the outside, means to support sr'i staple under said prongs, means to yieldably support said inner frame in the raised position away from said work, means to manually move said inner frame down thereby forcing the ends of said prongs with the ends of said staple into said work, means to Withdraw said supporting means when said staple is being forced into the work, and'means to manually turn said prongs with their ends toward each other thereby bending the ends of said staple over the back. side of said work.

l 7. In a box stitching machine, the combination of a frame, sharp prongs rotatively supported in said frame and adapted to enclose a staple on the outside, means to support said staple under said prongs, the ends of said prongs being straight and parallel to each other when said prongs are in their inoperative position, the middle portions of said prongs being curved, a plunger movably supported in said frame, gear racks on the o'pp'osite sides of said plunger, gears rotatively supported in said frame and in mesh with said racks, bars slidably supported in said frame, operative connections between said bars and said prongs, racks on said bars in mesh with said gears, said frame being adapted to be manually pressed against the work thereby inserting said prongs with said staple therein, and means to withdraw said staple supporting means from vunder said prongs, said plunger being adapted to be manually moved thereby rotating said lprongs through said gears and said'racks, thereby bending said staple against the other side of said work.

8. In a box stitching machine, the combination of a frame, sharp prongs rotatively supported in said frame, the ends of said prongs being straight and parallel to each' other when said prongs are in their inoperative position, means to su'oport a staple under said prongs, a plunger slidably supported in said frame, racks on the sides of said plunger, gears in mesh with said racks, bars with racks in mesh with said gears slidably supported in said frame in direction perpendicular to said plunger, operative connections between said bars and said prongs, curved rails for guiding said prongs when they are moved by said bars, and means to withdraw said staple supporting means, said frame beingadapted to be manually pressed against the work thereby inserting said prongs with said staple, said plunger being adapted to be manually moved thereby rotating said prongs and bending the ends of the staple on the other side of said work.

9. In a box stitching machine, the combina- -tion of an outer frame adapted .to be placed against the work, an inner frame slidably supported in the outer frame, means to guide said inner frame in a direction perpendicular to said work, prongs rotatively supported in said inner frame, means to support a staple under said prongs, a plunger movably supported in said inner frame, and adapted to be manually operated, means to rotate said prongs by said plunger, means to lock together said plunger and said inner frame .during the first portion of movement of the plunger thereby causing said prongs to move straight into the work and to insert said staple, means to release said plunger from said inner frame upon completion of th. insertion of the prongs with the staple, thereby rendering operative said rotating means for-said prongs for bending the staple over the back side of the Work, and retrieving means for returning said plunger and said inner frame into the raised positions.

10. In a'box stitching machine, the combination of an outer frame adapted to be placed against cardboard sheets to be stitched together, an inner frame slidably supported in said outer frame, means to guide said inner frame for movement against said sheets, prongs rotatively supported in the inner frame and adaptedto enclose a staple on the outside, means to support said staple under said prongs, a plunger slidably supported in said inner frame and. adapted to rotate said prongs when said plunger is being manually moved, a latch supported on said inner frame and adapted to engage said plunger lwhen the latter and the inner frame are in the raised position, and further adapted to release said plunger and `engage said outer frame upon completion of the downward movement by said inner frame, said inner frame while moving with said plunger being adapted to insert said staple by said prongs into said sheets, said plunger after being released from said inner frame being adapted to rotate said prongs thereby bending said staple aroundthe back side of the sheets, means to remove said staple supporting means during completion of the movement of said inner frame, and means to reengage said latch with said plunger when the latter and the inner frame are returned into the raised position.

11. In a box stitching machine, the combination of an outer frame adapted to, be placed against the work, an inner frame slidably supported in said outer frame, prongs rotatively supported in said inner frame, means manually to move said inner frame against said work, a magazine for staples supported on said outer frame, means to feed said staples one at a time under said prongs, said prongs being adapted to insert said staple into said work when said inner frame is moved against said work, and means manually to rotate said prongs uponl completion ofthe insertion of the staple into said work thereby bending the ends of the staple around the baci; side of said Work.

MICHAEL N. MATVEYEFF. 

